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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

It's that time of year, time to set those New Year's Resolutions. Time for a fresh start, a new beginning, time to commit to making your life better. Sounds like an overwhelming feet, right, a nice tradition, but really who keeps their resolutions for more than a week or two? I challenge you to do something different this year. Figure out why you don't keep your resolutions. Is your goal too overwhelming to begin? Is it something YOU really want to change or others want you to change or it's what everyone else is doing? Is your goal so vague you don't know where/how to begin? Do you need to learn knew skills in order to accomplish your goal? Do you have so many things you vow to change you're burned out and frustrated after the first week? Hey, I'm there with you. I've done all those things before or even worse, I just forget about my good intentions after a month or so.

So this year I've decided to do some things different this year. I'm starting with 4 main goals at most. Plus I'll break them down into smaller "weekly" goals. I'll be more specific, instead of the always elusive "I want to lose weight," I'm stating, "I want to lose 25 lbs." Finally, the number one thing experts always say to help accomplish your goal is WRITE IT DOWN! After all, a goal is only a wish if it's not written down. Because I always want a cute reminder, too, I made this printable that you're welcome to use, too. Build a Better YOU in 2012!

As I was contemplating what I wanted to improve this year, I thought back to my younger years of goal setting for my "Personal Progress" in our Young Women program at church. I pulled out my very first book and found this great reminder of setting and reaching goals with 5 steps.
1 - Evaluate. What do I want to be? What do I want to learn? What do I want to have happen in my life, now and in the future?
2 - Plan. What do I need to do? Write down EXACTLY what I want to accomplish. Write down what I will DO to reach the goal. Write down the name of the person to whom I will REPORT - be accountable. Set a DATE by which I want to complete my goal. I may need to reset the date occasionally while I continue to work on my goal.
3 - Act. I will follow my plan of action. If I need help, I will ask someone (spouse, friend, parents, leaders, experts) to help me accomplish my goal.
4 - Report. Talk with the person (friend, spouse, especially Heavenly Father) I selected to discuss my progress with. Get some support, some accountability.
5 - What will I do next? Begin the process again, deciding what I want to do next and continuing my person progress.

I hope this will help you become the best YOU possible. Let's do it together! I'd be happy to be your "report" person if you want. And I'll be reporting to you for some of my goals, too.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Well, one thing I'm crossing off my list is trying to get Christmas cards out this year. Yah, it's not going to happen, and I'm okay with that. (at least I have to be c: ) So I'll share it with you all here and call it good enough. I'm also going to be taking a break for the next week so I can have more fun playing with my family. I hope you all have a very merry Christmas filled with family and fun and wish you all the best in 2012.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

We're down to crunch time people!! 5 DAYS 'TIL CHRISTMAS!! I'm so excited! Anyway, I found this DELICIOUS cinnamon bread on Rae Gun Ramblings about a month ago. It claimed it was the same as Great Harvest's Cinnaburst bread. Since my family loves their cinnamon bread I decided this was the perfect thing for my family and to take to friends and neighbors. So I gave it a try and it was just as good as Great Harvest's! So I went crazy and made 12 loaves in one afternoon/evening and 4 more last night. I bagged them all up and put them in the freezer so they will be nice and fresh when we deliver this week.

In
mixer combine yeast, sugar, and warm water and milk; let bubble for about
5 minutes.

Add
in oil and egg.

Slowly
add 2 cups flour, mix and then add salt.

Add
1/2 cup flour at a time until it comes away from side of bowl. Add the
cinnamon chips when it gets close to the right consistency. The dough will
be very sticky but the softer the dough the lighter the bread. So use the
least amount of flour you can handle.

Let
rise in mixing bowl for about 30 minutes.

Form
into loaf (or whatever shape you want).

Let
rise and additional 30 minutes.

Bake
at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

Makes 2
loaves

Tips I learned: This dough is really like making rolls, it's sticky. I used powdered milk instead of regular, worked great and cheaper. My loaf pans are a little smaller, but perfect size for nice, big, full loaves - 4 1/2" x 8 x 2 1/2" deep. I also used mini cinnamon chips which gave it more cinnamon swirl. If the bread browns up too fast, put a piece of tin foil over top for the last 10 min. or so.

This bread would make wonderful french toast on Christmas morning, too. Yum!

I found these really cute tags that I printed out and tied one with cute ribbon I found in the dollar section at Target. I love Target! TaDa! Cute, yummy neighbor gifts!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Well, we've come to end of our week of giveaways. Wow, it's been fun!! I made some new friends, found some old ones, actually, and have loved reading all your comments. Thank you all for helping me celebrate reaching my goal of 100 followers. Remember, you have until Saturday to spread the word and enter all the giveaways.

Without further ado, here's today's giveaway: Another knitted headband, this time in cream or let's call it winter white. :) That's more fun.

So if you want to win this here's
what you have to do:

1. Be a follower! Sometimes it's good to follow. :)
Leave me a comment and let me know you are following. If you are already a
follower, leave me a comment and tell me.

Extra entries:

2. Like The Brown Eyes Have It on Facebook.
Spread the word about my giveaway
week:
3. Post about it on your blog, link
to your blog in a comment.
4. Tweet it
5. Post it on Facebook using @The
Brown Eyes Have It so I'll see it, too.

Here is my sister, Leslie, again with some cute, simple, easy gift ideas:

Are you still looking for inexpensive gift ideas for teachers or neighbors? These are some of the things I am going to give this year:

These word art picture frames are fun and super "cost effective" (that sounds so much better than cheap). I bought used picture frames from D.I. ($1-2 each) and gave them I fresh coat of paint. Then I printed the free prints found hereand here.

Next up, neighbor gifts:

I've seen lots of cute ideas out there for reusing glass jars. I reused spaghetti sauce and pickle jars, and spray painted the lids black. The bases are Dollar Store candlesticks that I also painted black. You could fill them with all kinds of things. Pencils or crayons for teachers?

And one more idea to go along with a gift for my children's teachers, these initial notepads, journals and cards from the dollar section of Target:

I couldn't find a whole set for each initial I need, but I think they would be cute to add to one of the ideas above.

Hope your shopping is almost finished! Once I find Neil Diamond's Greatest Hits, I think I will have everything I need (Mom, don't tell Dad!)

Thank you, Leslie, fantastic ideas as usual! I'm going to start saving my glass jars now so I can do this next year (we don't use those very often, lol.) I'm so excited that Leslie and family is coming up to visit for Christmas! Yeah!! You're still coming right, Les? Tell Luke I published it so it's fact now. :)

Monday, December 12, 2011

I have a super cute giveaway today! My sister, Leslie, has a great little shop called Cornflower Attic, and she has generously donated one of her super cute Zuzu dresses for me to giveaway today. This is the exact dress YOU can win!

Isn't it SO cute!! For the colder months now, pair it with a long sleeve shirt or cardigan. This will fit from about 1 year to around 6 years old, transforming from cute little dress to a tunic top. Now that's getting your money's worth!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Last week when I showed you my Christmas Planner, I told you I'd show you a few variations on this idea. Here are a couple of journals, an adult version and a teen/tween version, and also a cookbook, all out of the same basic supplies.

A couple years ago in the October 2007 conference session of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Henry B. Eyring gave a wonderful talk about journal keeping called "O Remember, Remember". I LOVED this talk, maybe because I'm not a very good journal writer and this is really something I need to work on. Anyway, shortly after this, my sister-in-law, Alana, brought a cute journal for us to make at our traditional Thanksgiving craft fest. So I decided to combine the two and add Elder Eyring's talk to these fun, twist on a journals to make a cute gift.

The basic "how-to" is the same as the Christmas Planner. However, the tabs for these journals are as follows: Goals, Accomplishments, Adventures and Travels, Books I've Read, Favorite Scriptures and Quotes, and Blessings. As I said, I made a Teen version, too. For those tabs I used: Goals, Favorite Songs and Artists (since this changes week to week, it's fun to remember), Books I've Read, Friends Info., Travels and Adventures, and Blessings. I also dressed these up a bit more than the Christmas book by adding quotes to each title page and matting each title and quote with either one or two layers of cardstock and/or scrapbook paper.

On the left is the front title (pocket) page. On the right is a sample section title page.

For each tab, I sectioned off about 5 pages and then left the rest of
the tablet for the Blessings section. In the front pocket (inside
page) I added a shortened version of Elder Eyring's
talk. In this talk, he speaks about every day writing down "how I had
seen the hand of God blessing our family." And as you pay more
attention, you'll notice more blessings - even if it's little things
like a neighbor helping out or someone letting you go in front of them
at the grocery store. If you would like to make your own, you can
download them all here:Titles and QuotesTitles and Quotes - TeensO Remember, Remember
This is two pages, that I print back to back, cut down to size, and then fold it backwards so the title is on the front.

In the picture at the top, you'll also see a Recipe
book. Cheyenne made that for Natalie a year or so ago for Christmas.
This is a place Natalie can jot down her favorite recipes she got from
4-H, or while she's cooking at home. It has the sections of Breads,
Meats & Main Dishes, Cakes & Desserts, Cookies, Candy, and
Misc. Cheyenne also found some cute food quotes to go with a couple of
them: "Man cannot live by bread alone...he needs peanut butter and
jelly to go with it"; "You do not like them, so you say. Try them, try
them, and you may. Try them and you may, I say."; "You get what you get,
so don't throw a fit!"; and "The problem - how to get 2 lbs. of
chocolate home in a hot car. The solution - eat it in the parking lot."
She also decorated it with cute cooking stickers.

These make great (thrifty) gifts. I made the journals for my
friends, ladies I
visit for church, my girls made them for their friends, and I made them
for my children's teachers. I got rave reviews from them! I even had
the mom of one of my daughter's friends (who I didn't know at the time)
call and tell me how much she loved it. Really! That made me feel
happy. The best was when I actually saw them using them. Quite a few
of those who received them would take them to church meetings to take
notes in. I have loved mine to keep track of all the books I've read -
found out that I read about 2 books every month. :) I also used the
Quotes section to keep track of my favorite scriptures, but also the
funny things my kids would say. It's fun to look back on that now. If you decide to try this, I love to hear about and see your version. Let me know!

Saturday, December 10, 2011

This is a little girl size knitted hat. It's a charcoal gray color. Yup, my mom made this one, too. She's just awesome! It's just like the one my daughter, Cheyenne, has on in this picture. Isn't she so cute! :)

So if you want it here's what you have to do:

1. Be a follower! Sometimes it's good to follow. :) Leave me a comment
and let me know you are following. If you are already a follower, leave me a
comment and tell me.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Good morning everyone! My husband surprised me today by taking the day off so my schedules a little off. We've just been relaxing this morning, and then I think we might finish up a couple gifts left to get or go to a movie or something. :)

So today's giveaway is the red bead necklace I made here. They were so fun to make that I made one for you, too.

So if you want it here's what you have to do:

1. Be a follower! Sometimes it's good to follow. :) Leave me a comment
and let me know you are following. If you are already a follower, leave me a
comment and tell me.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Yesterday I was thrilled to be a guest poster at Type A Decorating. This is what I shared with Tammy's readers over there, and now I'll share it with you here. :)

Today’s post is a simple, cute
way to organize your Christmas. This is
small enough to stick in your purse, or easily hide, but contains everything
you need to know to get you through the holidays with more time for having fun
with your family. Bonus, you can use it
for several years, too.

Supplies needed:Small 7x5” notebookScrapbook paperRibbonA file tab punch is great, however, I also had tab stickers,
or you could just cut your ownOther stickers, flowers, and embellishmentsAdhesive – make sure whatever kind you use it’s a permanent
adhesive

I started out with all the stuff on the left and then as I
looked further into my stash of papers, I found all these on the right that I
bought recently (okay, a year ago) and loved them even more. Just a couple ideas to show you how
completely unique these can be (great gift ideas, too!)

Start by cutting your two papers, the top one is 4 ¾” x 4”
and the bottom one is 4 3/4” x 3”.
Basically, I went with two-thirds on top, one-third on bottom if you use
a different size notebook. Cut a piece
of ribbon approximately 5 1/2” or a little longer, to cover the edge where the
papers join. I actually had adhesive-backed
ribbon, which was nice. Probably the
easiest way to join them all together is to lay your ribbon down with the
adhesive up, and center your two papers on top of the ribbon. Then wrap the ends carefully around the
edges, be careful not to bend or curl your paper, and glue the ends down on the
backside of the paper.

Next, glue the whole paper/ribbon combination onto the
notebook. Make sure you put adhesive on
both the notebook and the paper – just seems to hold stronger. I used a tape runner, but ended up using
Scotch brand Quick-Dry liquid glue to touch up spots that were coming loose. Add a title to your planner and whatever
other embellishments you want on the front.

Now is the time to do some thinking and decide what exactly
you want in your planner. My notebook
has a pocket inside, so that’s a great place to keep Receipts. I also did Gift Ideas so as I find ideas
throughout the year either on-line or in catalogs, I can jot it down here and
remember where I saw that perfect gift.
Also I’ll use it as a place jot down things people just mention in
conversation. You know when that light
bulb goes off in your head as your husband (who’s my hardest to shop for)
mentions some strange tool “it would be really nice to have,” but then I can’t
remember when I’m standing in the tool store.
You could also keep a list of clothing sizes here or things they need
for those you’re shopping for – Chloe
wears a size 11 shoe, but Maddie is an 11 ½, Billy needs pajamas. Traditions
could be another category, traditions to try and traditions to continue. If you’re like me, December can get a little
crazy with all the things we have to do and all the things we want to do. This will give me a spot to list those things
I really want to make time for and also a place to write down cool traditions
that I hear from others that I want to try with my family. Cards. I keep all the addresses of those I send
cards to on my computer so I can print labels, but I think it will be nice to
have a place to just list the names I’m sending to. I can also add to the list here in
preparation for next year as we make new friends or get cards from different
people. (Or to cross out those who don’t make the list! ;) lol) Menu
is where I’ll list my Christmas dinner menu, obviously, but I’m also going to
make a list of treats to make, or treats to take to neighbors, or even jot down
new recipes to try. The Gift List section will be where I
actually list out the gifts I’m giving, that’s why this planner will be hidden
from all little eyes! I’m one of those
people who buy gifts all year long. The
all get hidden away, and sometimes I forget what I’ve bought, who it’s for, or
how much I’ve already bought. It’s also
handy when you can’t remember what you gave people last year (or the year
before.) Plus, it’s kind of fun to look
back and see what your kids got when they were younger (or in my house, prove
you were right when you said you got “such and such” in “whatever year”. Yah, we get a little competitive about the
dumbest things. J) My final section is Notes. I can use it just for
notes, or as a little journaling place to write down some thoughts and
highlights of each Christmas season.
There are many other things you could list: decorations - take a picture
of that perfect mantle so you’ll remember how to set it up next year; glue in a
December calendar to make notes of all those parties, kids programs, concerts,
etc. that you want to attend; a budget section; a party planning section – a
place to list all you need to do to host that perfect party; whatever else
would be helpful to you.

After you’ve decided what to include, you need to make tabs
and a title page for each section. I
used a file tab punch to punch out my tabs out of the same paper I used on the
front. My papers were both double-sided
so I used the back side for tabs, too.
You could also buy tab stickers, or just cut out a tab shape – they’re
about 3” long. For the title pages, I
had a sheet of embellishments/tags, I’m not sure what they’re called – it’s the
top paper in the right-hand picture. I
cut these apart and wrote the name of each section on them. Some of the tags were too big to use, so I
just cut a square of decorative paper or used another large punch to
decoratively cut a title plate for some sections.

Glue
the tab to the edge of a single page. I
only stress that because the first time I made one of these I accidentally glued
it to the first page and then the last page I had sectioned off. Doesn’t work very well that way. J Then
glue on your title tag. I made my
sections about 10 pages each, although some were a little bigger when I’d be
writing a lot more. It’s up to you, how
many sections you have, and how many years you want to use it, etc. As you are gluing your tabs on, remember to
stagger them so it’s easier to read the tabs.

The final step is to add the ribbons to the spiral
binding. I like the mix of some plain
ribbon and some patterned ribbons. Cut
them about 4” each, but I found out that the wider and stiffer the ribbon the
longer the length you need to be able to tie them. For example, the green ribbon I used was 1/8”,
and a 4” long piece was more than enough to be able to tie it on. However, 4” of the patterned ribbon, which was
more like 1/4” and a grosgrain ribbon, was barely enough for me to tie on. Just slip the ribbon through the binding and
tie a double knot on each spiral. A
little tedious, but makes it really cute, I think.

That’s it! It really
doesn’t take that long to make and it will be invaluable to you as you try to
have an organized, stress-free Christmas.